The upper fall, Rydale before 1864

This photograph of "The Upper Fall, Rydale" by Thomas Ogle presents a serene natural scene, carefully placed in a book next to a poem. It evokes the Picturesque movement in Britain. The Picturesque was a reaction against the formal gardens of the aristocracy. Thinkers like Uvedale Price and William Gilpin argued for an appreciation of wilder, more irregular landscapes. These ideas encouraged a broader segment of society to engage with nature, but it was an engagement shaped by very particular class interests. The Picturesque eye sought out scenes that were “paintable,” fitting into pre-existing aesthetic categories, and often conveniently overlooking the labor and social realities of rural life. Consider the book format: This photograph, and the poem, transform nature into a curated object, ready for consumption by a literate audience. To truly understand such an image, one must delve into the writings of the Picturesque theorists, visit the landscapes they celebrated, and consider how these aesthetic movements intersected with social and economic changes in 19th-century Britain.